Memorial Day Memorial, Edina Missouri 2007
Memorial Day Service
10: a.m. * May 28, 2007

Sponsored by
Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion Posts 216-Edina, 290-Novelty,358-Knox City, and 574-Plevna

On the Knox County Courthouse Lawn in Edina, Missouri


Schedule

                                                                                      Welcome..................................................................................................................................Ed Anderson
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Cyril llA. Graham Post 261 Adjutant
                                                                                      Invocation.............................................................................................................Rev. Maynard Blackwood
                                                                                                                                                                                                               First Christian Church, Edina
                                                                                      Pledge of Allegiance......................................................................................................L. P. (Pete) Mayfield
                                                                                                                                                                                             Presiding Commissioner of Knox County
                                                                                     Address..................................................................................................................................Wes Shoemyer
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  State Senator, 18th District
                                                                                     Memorials...................................................................................................VFW Post 4822 Ladies Auxiliary
                                                                                                                                                                                        Cyril A. Graham American Legion Post 261
                                                                                                                                                                                                 Knox City American Legion Post 358
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Firing Squad & Buglers
                                                                                     Benediction................................................................................................................Rev. Bryan P. Thiessen
                                                                                                                                                                                                         Assembly of God Church, Edina

The VFW Ladies Auxiliary and American Legion Auxiliary invite
you for refreshments following the ceremony.

Speech given by State Senator Wes Shoemyer:
           Thanks for inviting me here today to honor the lives of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
           Memorial Day is a time for reflection and gratitude to those who paid the greatest price so we could be here today. It is a solemn day when we take a moment to signify that we still remember those who have been lost, and that we acknowledge their sacrifice.
           Each time that Americans are called to fight for what is right, there are men and women there to answer the call. Some of them do not return home to their families and friends. These are the people we honor on this day.
           America has a history of fighting to protect its freedom. It is startling to think how many conflicts our country has been involved in a mere 231 years since it began.
           The Revolutionary War began in 1775 as the United Colonies of America fought against British Rule. In 1776, Congress sent the Declaration of Independence to Britain. They wrote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
           They believed that everyone is born with these rights and that those liberties should be protected. Our forefathers also thought that believing in something meant being willing to die for it.
           These ideals are the building blocks of our country, and the people who are wiling to fight for those principles are the foundation. Upon them, we have built a country that stands for freedom, democracy, and justice.
           The Revolutionary War ended in 1784 and America was born. Over the course of the war, 25, 000 American fighters died in battle.
           The new country went to war again with Britain during the War of 1812 which reaffirmed America's status as a truly independent nation. The country soon faced more fighting, but, this time, the battles were between the states.
           Memorial Day began in this country as a way of recognizing Civil War soldiers who had given their lives in battle. It was originally called Decoration Day because citizens would literally decorate the graves of the fallen with flags and flowers, a tradition that still exists today.
           Waterloo, New York has been the birthplace of Decoration Day. It was first celebrated in the spring of 1866 when people in the town made wreaths, crosses, and bouquets for each veteran's grave. The village was decorated with flags at half mast and draped with evergreen boughs and mourning black streamers.
           Waterloo was not the only town that celebrated the lives of their fallen. The day was recognized locally throughout the United States and towns and cities honored the 620,000 Americans who died in the Civil War. Eventually, the holiday started to be observed nationally.
           During the first official celebration of Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.
           In 1898, The U.S. firmly established itself as a world power during the Spanish-American War. The toll for that distinction was 3,000 American lives.
           The United States first joined the global stage in 1917, when President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany in order to "...make the world safe for democracy, and fight this war to end all wars."
           As always in battle, the effort was costly for American forces. More than 100,000 soldiers lost their lives.
           After World War I, the Memorial Day expanded to include any person who had perished in military action. The practice of honoring those lost in battle continued throughout the country.
           The U.S. returned to the global front in 1941 during World War II. American soldiers again found themselves up against German forces. This time, though, Japanese forces also joined the battlefield.
           On August 6, 1945, the American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima.
           A second atomic bomb was dropped three days later over Nagasaki. Japan formally surrendered to the Allies on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on the morning of September 2, 1945.
           The victories in Europe and Asia came at the expense of 400,000 American lives.
           It was shortly after the war's conclusion that the English author and essayist George Orwell said, "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
           U.S. forces were again needed in 1950 in Korea. This time, it was the fear that communism would spread that lead to battle. During the four year conflict, Americans lost 54,246 brave fighters.
           Following the fighting in Korea came similar fears of communism spurring the landing of over 500,000 US troops in Vietnam by 1968. Seven years later, the South Vietnamese government surrendered to North Vietnam. It was during this conflict in 1971 that Congress acknowledged Memorial Day as a federal holiday.
           In August of 1990, Iraq invaded the Persian Gulf state of Kuwait. In refusing to pull back, Iraq incited the launce of "Desert Storm," a ground-based offensive that effectively liberated Kuwait after just four days of ground combat.
           Our country's history makes the debt we owe to those who fight for our freedom clear. Every lost service man or woman leaves a family and friends. They are brothers and sisters, daughters and sons, mothers and fathers.
           Right now, there are brave men and women who have decided to fight for our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan in order to protect the American way they hold dear. What they do is noble and we should offer thanks to every man or woman who answers the call to duty.
           These men and women are willing to leave their homes and go to a foreign land in order to protect this country from threats of terror and free a people they have never met.
           You are here today because you recognize the value of courage and selflessness. You are also here today because you are proud of what our military men and women are willing to give up for our safety.
           Memorial Day is also a time for unity. We join together as a community and as a country to recognize the sacrifices of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. Whether fighters in the Revolutionary War or heroes of today, they are remembered.
           Many people celebrate Memorial Day as the beginning of summer. Picnics and barbeques are staples of the summertime. As we enjoy this season, let's remember those who have fought to make it possible to celebrate and lets learn the lessons that many vet[erans]. have taught us.
           Please join me in a moment of silence to acknowledge those who have given the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be here today.
[Moment of Silence]
           Thank you again for inviting me.